The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many South Africans. To obtain critical weather information, the SAWDOS use voluntary weather observers. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe and informed by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the SAWDOS for publication on the Blog. The SAWDOS is a non-profit organization that renders a FREE COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICE.

Monday, 17 September 2012

NSRI: Various Incidents - South Africa

At 12h43 (Sunday, 16th September) NSRI Mossel Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning in progress at De Bakke, near Mossel Bay.

Our NSRI Mossel Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew and WC Government Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded and on arrival on-scene a male believed to be aged in his late twenties was treated for near drowning symptoms by paramedics and transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition.

A lifeguard had rescued the man from the surf after he was reportedly swept out to sea by rip-currents.

At 14h03 NSRI Hout Bay volunteer sea rescue duty crew who were at our sea rescue station at the time were approached by a local teenage male bleeding on his right leg and claiming to have been bitten by a Pitbull Terrier.

According to the teenager once the dog got hold of him it would not let go.
Two bystanders had helped to free the teenager from the jaws of the dog, One took the top jaw of the dog and the other took the bottom jaw and they prized the jaw open to free the teenagers leg.

The incident happened in shallow water below the the boat launching ramp in Hout Bay harbour and the teenager had been swimming when the owner of the dog then also put his dog into the water when the incident then happened.
It appears that the dog and its owner had left the scene following the incident.

NSRI Hout Bay medics cleaned the wound in our NSRI first aid room and due to the severity of the bites, on the right leg calf, a WC Government Health Emergency Medical services (EMS) ambulance was summoned and the teenager has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition for further treatment.

On arrival on-scene Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services were in attendance but no sign of any drowning incident could be found and no one on the beach could shed any light on any drowning incident at the beach.

Then at 16h36 NSRI Melkbosstrand were alerted by a female reporting her husband to be overdue on his sea kayak.

The 57 year old male from Australia, now living at Atlantic Beach in Cape Town, had left to paddle, on his debut paddle, from Woodbridge Island at 10h00 but having failed to arrive as scheduled at Milnerton Beach later in the day, his wife had grown concerned and raised the alarm.

A search commenced and just after 17h00 the man was found safe at Big Bay, Bloubergstrand, and it appears that he had paddled further and for longer than he had intended but since he was safely ashore no further assistance was required.

It is not believed that these two incidents are related.

Then at 17h15 NSRI Melkbosstrand were alerted to a 7 year old female, reportedly from De Noon, who according to her child minder had disappeared from the beach, at Tableview Beach, while the child minder had gone for a swim.

Fearing that the child had entered the sea and drowned while the child minder was swimming NSRI and Police were alerted.

A search commenced at sea and on land and Neighborhood Watch joined in the search but despite an extensive search no sign of the child has been found and Police have taken over the search and are investigating the incident but it is unknown if the child has gone missing in the sea or from the land.

On Sunday, 09th September, following the discovery of an upturned small fishing boat and the body of a fisherman found underwater trapped in fishing nets (see original media release below) it was determined by police that a further three fishermen were missing from the same incident and a search has continued since.

Police divers have searched throughout the week for the three missing fisherman on Fisherhaven Lagoon and today (Sunday, 16th of September) the bodies of two men were located and recovered by NSRI Hermanus volunteer duty crew at Fisherhaven Lagoon and they are suspected to be the bodies of two of the three missing fishermen.

Members of the public had stumbled upon one body in the water, floating just under the water surface, near to where the boat had been found capsized last week and they marked the location using a flotation buoy.

Police, the Forensic Pathology Services and NSRI Hermanus volunteer duty crew were activated and on arrival on-scene the body of a man, suspected to be that of one of the three missing fishermen, was located and recovered, floating just beneath the lagoon surface, by NSRI Hermanus duty crew volunteers and the body was handed into the care of the police and the Forensic Pathology Services.

NSRI Hermanus then continued to search and a short while later the body of a second man, also suspected to be that of one of the three missing fishermen, was located and recovered, floating just beneath the lagoon surface, by NSRI Hermanus volunteers and the body was handed into the care of the police and the Forensic Pathology Services.

A search continued but no sign of a third body was located.

Only the Police can confirm if the two bodies located today are those of two of the three missing fishermen and formal identification will take place with family members.

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